In my last post, I discussed the starting formations of my topic.  After reading the excerpt from Tacopedia, I knew I wanted my topic to have some relation to Mexican food and the culture associated with it.  In my early research, I primarily used the UT Libraries ScoUT feature.  Through this, I found Gustavo Arellano’s Taco USA, a book focusing on how Mexican food fits into the vast and varied food culture of the United States of America.  

    After this, I hit a block in my thoughts.  I didn’t really know where I wanted to go with my topic, I just knew I wanted it to have something to do with Mexican food in the broader context of the United States.  So, I took to Google, and through many blog posts and journal articles, I found my specific topic.

    Within the US, many of the foods we eat are americanized versions of foods enjoyed in other cultures.  Often, it is looked down upon to enjoy these “inauthentic” variations rather than the originals.  What I’ve chosen to explore through my research is how we perceive authenticity of food in America, specifically focusing on Mexican food.  The article which inspired me to choose this specific topic was Minerva Orduno Rincon’s “The Authenticity Trap of Mexican Food in America” from the Phoenix New Times.  Her article lightheartedly criticized food critics who judge the authenticity of a restaurant by whether their tortillas were house made, a common facet of perceived “authenticity” in Mexican cuisine.  

    My bibliography will include a variety of sources, but a majority of them will be articles and blog posts.  I hope to include a diverse selection of authors.  Currently, my authors are all of Mexican descent, but I have sources from both male and female viewpoints.  I’m hoping to find sources which focus on this topic from the minds of non-Mexican Americans to compare their viewpoints to that of Mexican Americans.

    I’m still debating whether my topic is right as-is or if I should change the scale.  Would it be beneficial to broaden the topic to cover perceived authenticity of all cultural foods in American cuisine, or should my focus remain on Mexican food only? On the other hand, should my topic be narrowed down to a specific food in Mexican cuisine: perhaps just tamales or enchiladas? Right now, I think the scale of my topic is where it should be, but I’m curious about your opinions.